Closure device for drums and the like



Jan. 2, 1940; BROWN 2,185,171

CLOSURE DEVICE FOR DRUMS AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 11, 1957 j INVENTOR. Char/e6 rown ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATE S CLOSURE DEVICE FOR DRUMS AND THE LIKE I Charles J. Brown, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Keystone Drum Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 11, 1937, .Serial No. 173,989

1 8 Claims.

The invention relates to means for locking the covers in drums and similar containers and is particularly well suited for drums made of fibreboard or similar material. The invention has 6 for its main object to provide a closure device by means of which a cover may be securely locked in a drum without any danger of it being displaced even under the most severe handling.

Another object is to provide a closure device which is easy to operate, and which can be used repeatedly with the drum. A further object is to provide means for sealing the closure device so that the cover cannot be removed without detection. Still further objects are to provide a device of this character which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost and which will reinforce and add strength to the drum.

These and various other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which, however, modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the drawing,

5 Fig. 1 is a top view of a drum showing the closure device attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the clamping ring employed in the device; a

Fig. 3 is a fragmental, cross-sectional, side elevation, taken on line 3 -3 in Fig. 1 and showing the construction of the various parts of the device;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, but with certain of the parts removed; 5 Fig. 5 is a fragmental, cross-sectional, elevation of the cover;

Fig, 6 is a side view of the means employed for expanding and sealing the clamping ring;

Fig. '7 is a View similar to Fig. 6, but with the parts shown in their expanded position;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental, side view of the clamping ring taken on line 88 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmental, top view of a part of a drum with certain parts broken away. Reference is first made to Figs. 4 and 9 in which the side wall of a drum IE, made of fibreboard or similar, relatively pliable. material, is shown. A U-shaped metal ring H is placed over the edge of thedrum and a plurality of depressions l2 are made in the ring and drum side wall. These depressions are made by shearing the metal on the line l3 and bulging it inwardly, as plainly shown in the views. The fibre-board is sunicient- 1y soft to allow for this operation which forms a u shoulder M in the fibre. The outer side of this shoulder isv reinforced by the ring itself. Any desired number of these depressions may be made and they are preferably equally spaced around the inside of the drum.

Fig. 5 shows the cover 15 which is employed with the drum. This cover, which is cup-shaped, is provided with an upwardly-extending flange which is next bent over the edge of the drum and then downwardly over the outside of the drum so as to form an annular U-shaped groove 10 Hi which fits snugly over the ring II, as plainly shown in Fig. 3. A contractible and expansible clamping ring ll, which is plainly shown in Figs.

1,, 2 and 3, is employed for locking the cover to the drum. This clamping ring is provided with 16 a number of tongues l8, corresponding to the number of depressions formed in the ring 5 I and spaced similarly to these depressions. These tongues are formed by being sheared from the metal of the clamping ring and bent outwardly 9 at right angles to the ring, so that openings is are formed. The cover is likewise provided with a number of elongated openings 20 which align with the depressions in the ring H, as well as with the tongues on the clamping ring.

The cover is first placed over the drum with the openings 2|! in alignment with the pre-formed depressions l2 and the clamping ring H is next inserted inside of the cover. It will be noted that the clamping ring is split so that when it'is expanded within the cover and drum,.a space 2! exists between the ends 22 and 23 of the ring. By pressing the ends together to contract the ring, said ring may be freely inserted in the inside of the cover andthe tongues at one end of 3? the ring aligned with and inserted through. the openings 20 in the cover and the depressions 52 in the ring II. The rest of the tongues are progressively forced into their respective openings and depressions, until they are in place. When in place, the cover is securely clamped to the drum and cannot be dislodged without the removal of the clamping ring. I

To facilitate the contraction and expansion of the clamping ring, the toggle link, shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, is preferably employed. This consists of a lever 24 pivoted to the ring at 25 and another lever 26 pivoted to the other end'of the ring at 21. The two levers are pivotally connected at 28'. A short arm 29 is formed on the lever 24 and a longer arm 30 on the lever 26. The ends 3| and 32 of the arms on the levers are bent at right angles, as plainly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8, and holes 33 and 34 are drilled through the lugs thus formed. When the contracted ring is inserted in the drum the ends are in the abutting position shown in Fig. 6. When the arm 30 is depressed so that it aligns with the arm 29, as shown in Fig. 7, the ring is fully expanded so that all the tongues are engaged in the depressions in the drum. A bolt may be inserted in the holes 33 or 34 to prevent accidental opening of the toggle link, or a seal, with certain identification marks, may be employed so as to prevent tampering.

An outwardly-extending flange 36 is preferably formed on the upper edge of the'clamping ring, particularly when used with heavy drums, as this materially strengthens, not only the ring itself, but the whole edge of the cover, as well as the drum, and greatly protects the whole assembly against distortion.

While I have shown and described the closure device as used on a drum made of fibreboard or similar material, it is evident that it might as readily be used on a metal drum by merely forming depressions around the drum, somewhat similar to the depressions here described, or even by forming an annular groove in the drum. In like manner, while I have used the word cover, it is evident that the same device may, when desired, be used as a bottom in the drum.

Having described the invention and its objects, what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A closure device, for a drum or the like having a plurality of pre-formed indentations on its inner side and adjacent to its end, comprising a cupped cover insertable in the inside of the end of the drum and having a flange extending up over the edge of the drum; openings formed in the cover flange in alignment with the indentations in the drum; an adjustable clamping ring having a plurality of rigid outwardly-extending tongues adapted to be aligned with the indentations of the drum; whereby when said clamping ring is inserted and adjusted in the cover, the said tongues project through the openings in the cover flange into engagement with the indentations in the drum to clamp the cover to the drum.

2. A closure device, for a drum or the like having a plurality of pre-formed indentations on its inner side and adjacent to its end, comprising a cupped cover insertable in the inside of the end of the drum and having a U-shaped flange extending up over the edge and some distance down over the outside of the drum; openings formed in the cover flange in alignment with the indentations in the drum; an adjustable clamping ring having a plurality of rigid outwardly-extending tongues adapted to be aligned with the indentations of the drum; whereby when said clamping ring is inserted and adjusted in the cover, the said tongues project through the openings in the cover flange into engagement with the indentations in the drum to clamp the cover to the drum.

3. 'A closure device, for a drum or the like having a plurality of pre-formed indentations on its inner side and adjacent to its end, comprising a cupped cover insertable in the inside of the end of the drum and having a U-shaped flange extending up over the edge and some distance down over the outside of the drum; openings formed in the cover flange in alignment with the indentations in the drum; an adjustable clamping ring having a plurality of rigid outwardly-extending tongues adapted to be aligned with the indentations of the drum; whereby when said clamping ring is inserted and dusted in the cover, the said tongues project through the openings in the cover flange into engagement with the indentations in the drum to clamp the cover to the drum; and an outwardly-extending flange formed on the upper edge of the clamping ring to protect the end of the drum and the cover flange.

4. A closure device, for a drum or the like having a plurality of indentations on its inner side and adjacent to its end, comprising a cupped cover insertable in the inside of the end of the drum and having a flange extending up over the edge of the drum; openings formed in the cover in alignment with the indentations in the drum; a clamping ring having a cut-away portion and a plurality of rigid outwardly-extending tongues likewise aligned with the indentations of the drum; said clamping ring insertable in the cover with the tongues projecting through the openings in the'cover and engaging in the indentations in the drum to clamp the cover to the drum; and a toggle link associated with the clamping ring; one end of one of the links of the toggle being secured to one end of the clamping ring, the other end of the other link being secured to the other end of the clamping ring so that when the toggle link is straightenedout the clamping ring will be expanded.

5. A closure device, for a drum or the like having a plurality of indentations on\its inner side and adjacent to its end, comprising a cupped cover insertable in the inside of the end of the drum and having a flange extending up over the edge of the drum; openings formed in the cover in alignment with the indentations in the drum;

a clamping ring having a cut-away portion and a plurality of rigid outwardly-extending tongues likewise aligned with the indentations of the drum; said clamping ring insertable in the cover with the tongues projecting through the open ings in the cover and engaging in the indentabeing secured to one end of the clamping ring,

the other end of the other link being secured to the other end of the clamping ring so that when the toggle link is straightened. out the clamping ring will be expanded; and means for sealing the toggle link to prevent its accidental or unauthorized opening.

6. The combination with a container or the like having a plurality of pre-formed indentations on its inner side and adjacent an open end thereof, of'a cover having a portion thereof insertable in the container, said cover having openings therein adapted to be aligned with said indentations in the container, a split clamping ring adapted upon contraction thereof .to be inserted within the cover, said ring having a plurality of outwardly projecting tongues for en--' trance through the cover openings into the container indentations upon expansion of the ring, and means for expanding and contracting the ring.

7. The combination with an open-ended container or the like, of a ring for the open end of the container, said container and ring having a plurality of pre-formed indentations opening inwardly of the container adjacent its said end, a cover having a portion thereof insertable in the container, a split clamping ring adapted upon contraction thereof to engage the cover, said clamping ring having a plurality of outwardly projecting tongues for entrance intothe indentaupon expansion of the clamping ring, and means for expanding and contracting the clamping rlng.

8. The combination with an open-ended container or the like, of a ring for the open end of the container, said container and ring having a plurality of pre-formed indentations opening inwardly of the container adjacent its said end, a cover having a portion thereof insertable in the container, said cover having openings therein adapted to be aligned with said indentations in the container and ring, a split clamping ring adapted'upon contraction thereof to be inserted within the cover, said clamping ring having a.

plurality of outwardly projecting tongues for entrance through the cover openings into the indentations in the container and. first-mentioned ring upon expansion of said clamping ring, and means for expanding and contracting the clamping ring.

' CHARLES J. BROWN. 

